The Seven Loners
by Sjmun
Summary: So, what if, in the world of Warriors, you know, hypothetically, there where these cats that had the personalities/powers of the Seven. Read on to find out! T for potential fight scenes.
1. Into the clans

**Hi, It's me. The idea for this came into my head while I was browsing FanFictions and noted there is nothing like this. So Ta-Da! On a completely unrelated note, fans of Rick Riordan, you need to check out Ardoa88's "When Worlds Collide" It's seriously good.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or Warriors, but I do own my OCs (though some are inspired by PJO characters)**

 **So, that should be all. I moved some stuff around, and if there is anything I missed, please let me know. Thank you.**

* * *

 **Alliances**

 _ **Thunderclan**_

 **Leader**

Scarstar - Black she-cat with white flecks and a scar over her eye  
 **  
Deputy**

Frostspots - White tom with brown spots and tail  
 **  
Medicine cat**

Cagecreek - Tortoiseshell she-cat with gold eyes  
 **  
Warriors**

Pinecrest - Yellow tom with ginger chest and legs and pine green eyes

Addercrack - Gray tom with blue eyes

Sorrelflight - Gray-blue she-cat with orange eyes

Apprentice - Lamepaw

Forestshade - Dappled brown tom with black spots and green eyes

Dappledleaf - Green eyed black she-cat with gray stripes

Crowtail - Green eyed tom with an orange tabby pelt

Apprentice - Mazepaw  
 **  
**Smokeclaw - Dark gray tom with green eyes that have gold flecks.

 **Apprentices**

Mazepaw - Orange tabby tom with gold eyes

Lamepaw - Dark brown she-cat with gold eyes and only half her right right leg  
 **  
Queens**

Cloverheart - White she-cat with green eyes, expecting Pinecrest's kits

 **Elders**

Sunclaw - Bright orange tabby tom with gold eyes  
 **  
Loners** Percy - Black tom with sea green eyes

Jason - Ginger tom with blue eyes

Hazel - All black she-cat with gold eyes

Frank - Fluffy white tom with brown eyes

Annabeth - Light orange, almost yellow, furred she-cat with stormy gray eyes

Leo - Brown eyed tom with dark orange fur

Piper - Beautiful gray tabby she-cat with shifting eye colors

Percy woke suddenly, not quite sure why. Annabeth, curled up in the nest beside him, mumbled "Go to sleep." Then, she closed her stormy gray eyes and purred off to sleep. She was so beautiful with the moon turning the soft yellow fur on her back slightly silver, that he realized how lucky he was to have her as his mate, not just for her brains. And think, if they were to have kits… With that thought in mind, he began cleaning her warm fur and soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

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Jason was feeling positive, which was kind of dangerous, as his rust-colored pelt was known to spark. Everyone in his group had some sort of power: Percy's power over water, Annabeth's knowledge of everything, Leo's power over fire, Piper's charmspeak, Hazel's control over shiny things (she calls them gems), Frank's strength, and Jason's control of the sky. Despite this, they were still living off scraps.

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Scarstar gazed out at her clan. They looked so powerful, it was hard to imagine they'd need a Loner's help, let alone seven. Thunderclan had a bad reputation, after Firestar, and this would only make it worse. Loner Lovers was no better than Kittypet Lovers. But if it's necessary… She was jerked out of her musings by Forestshade, who came bounding into the clearing, pelt bristling, hackles raised. "Loners, seven of them, at the far border!" he hissed.

Frostspots, the deputy, jumped up, nodding at each cat as he named. "I'll take Pinecrest, Addercrack, Sorrelflight, Mazepaw, and-"

"Me and Cagecreek" Scarstar interrupted, nodding to the tortoiseshell medicine cat.

Cagecreek nodded hesitantly. "Do you think it's them?"

"I don't know. I hope so. If not..." she let the thought hang.

As the clan went of, Cloverheart disappearing into the nursery and Sunfall to the elders' den, she felt a surge of confidence and strength. This was _her_ clan.

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"Stop! We don't want a fight!" Piper yowled. Her charmspeak was having no effect. It was too late. Frank had a cat pinned, Annabeth clawed viciously at another while Percy bit his heel. Hazel yelled and charged, as Leo fended off blows. Jason was running after the fourth. He came back soon, panting. Suddenly, there was a yowl and another patrol arrived. Piper backed up and heard a low growl. "Don't move!"

Piper froze. Suddenly, she was on her side, a paw on her chest. "Wa-!" she hissed.

"I got one!" her enemy shouted with excitement. His claws were digging into her soft stomach, making her cringe in pain.

"They're not prey, Mazepaw," a she-cat's voice scolded. She felt his claws retract a little.

"I know," Mazepaw sounded slightly embarrassed, but he soon got over it. "But I got it on my first attempt!"

Piper, noting the tom's distraction, pushed herself up sharply, unbalancing him, wincing as he dug his claws back into her in an attempt to hold her down. "Go away!" she growled. He backed away. So did everyone else. But the effect appeared to already be fading. A muscular black she-cat with a scar across her right eye shook her head as if coming out of a trance. But instead of attacking, she meowed, "Don't fight. I wish to speak to them. Privately. Cagecreek?" Another she-cat, Cagecreek, Piper assumed, padded forward.

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Cagecreek closed her eyes. Please don't let them be the ones, she prayed. They weren't all bad. Piper was nice, Hazel was sweet, Frank was kind-hearted, Leo was funny, kind of, Annabeth was clever, but Jason and Percy, they were the bad ones. Jason radiated so much power it made her pelt prickle. He was strong and muscled and obviously very skilled. He just seemed to make you look at him. Percy had the opposite effect. He was small and unassuming, but had an aura of quiet power. Too much power. But she couldn't put her paw on how.

They were under some trees bordering the clearing. Luckily, no one seemed badly injured, so she could join the group. After making sure no one was listening, Scarstar began. "So, there's this prophecy, _The Fires enemies return, the air and water fight, and the seven powerful outsiders will save us. The ruling queen and the forbidden lover will complete the set and ensure the light of the stars._ We believe it might be about you."

Leo was the first to speak. "Well, sounds fun!"

"We do have some, um, talents, that might help," Hazel added.

"Do we really want to tell them?" Annabeth hissed.

"Do we have much of a choice?" responded Percy.

"Nope!" Leo purred with a flick of his tail.

"OK, so, each of us has this power," meowed Piper nervously. "I can convince people to do things, Jason can control the sky, Percy water, Leo fire, and Hazel gems. Annabeth knows everything, not an exaggeration, and Frank is super strong."

The only thing Cagecreek could hear after Piper concluded was her own racing heartbeat. Then Scarstar's astonished "I think they're the ones."

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Scarstar was having second thoughts. The clan was divided, those who wanted the Loners to stay and those who didn't. It was tearing them apart. The clearing was in chaos. Arguments where breaking out everywhere. "Is it safe" "What will the other clans think?" She closed her eyes, overwhelmed. _Tomorrow is the gathering. I'll take them and discuss with the other leaders and medicine cats. They'll know what to do. I sure didn't._ "Will you tell them?" Cagecreek's mew startled her.

"I don't know, I guess we need to. What else are we going to do? They'll be kicked out!" She hissed, her voice rising in volume.

"Tell who what?" Sunclaw asked. "Kicked out of where?"

"Well, I guess there's your answer," Cagecreek purred. She glanced at Scarstar, who nodded hesitantly. "There's a prophecy, ' _The Fires enemies return, the air and water fight, and the seven powerful outsiders will save us,_ ' that probably means them. If so, we need them. I mean, I don't think we need saving, but a prophecy's a prophecy. So if they're driven out, that would be bad. "

"OK, then."

"Yes. I'll go call a meeting" Scarstar meowed, once again turning her face into a mask. Only the flexing of her claws betrayed how nervous she was. "Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey, gather to hear my words!"

Then she padded towards Highledge.

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As Annabeth was led into the clearing, she caught her breath. Pinecrest (Scarstar had introduced them to the group) darted toward a thick bramble bush, from which a pair of eyes shone. That must be the nursery. Scarstar had told them that Pinecrest's mate was expecting, and his stance made it clear he cared about what was inside and was willing to fight for it. Crowtail and Mazepaw were staring daggers, while the dark gray form of Smokeclaw talked to them in a low growl, glancing over their way frequently. The rest of the clan went their respective ways: to the fresh-kill pile, to a large den under a fallen tree, and back out the entrance. The camp itself was in a hollow, easily defendable, with thorns surrounding it. There were only three entrances, the main one, one that smelled like dirtplace, and a small hidden exit, though Annabeth wasn't quite sure if they knew it existed. All of this and more was running through the back of her mind as she gazed at the camp.

Then, she heard Scarstar yowl "Let all cats old enough to hunt your own prey, gather to hear my words!" Annabeth looked just in time to see her tense and jump onto a tall rock. When everyone gathered at the base of the rock, she began. "I have an announcement. The loners that we took in, they're not regular loners."

"Why, thanks," Annabeth heard Leo mutter crossly.

"There is a prophecy that we think is about them." she continued, " _The Fires enemies return, the air and water fight, and the seven powerful outsiders will save us._ " She then nodded to Piper. "Piper?"

Piper looked embarrassed at that, so Percy stepped up. "Each one of us has this power," he meowed, "I can control water, Jason can control storms, Hazel can control gems, Leo can control fire, Piper can convince cats to do stuff, Frank is super strong, and Annabeth knows, like, literally everything."

There was a shocked silence until Smokeclaw hissed, "They're dangerous, we need to get them away from us."

That caused an uproar, and Piper had to yowl to be heard "STOP!" Everyone froze. Annabeth was the first to speak. "Do you not trust your leader. We could help you. Don't throw it away."

Cagecreek stepped up. "If it pleases you, you can mentor one of them. Actually, everyone will have to mentor someone. Unless one of them wants to learn the art of healing from me?"

Even before she finished, all seven were shaking their heads. "Nevermind."

"While we're here, I might as well assign mentors. Jason, step forward. From this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lightningpaw. Your mentor will be Smokeclaw. Smokeclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Shadebranch, and have shown yourself to be fierce and loyal, and I hope you pass that onto Lightningpaw. I know you will train him harder than anyone else." Scarstar said. She motioned for them to touch noses. When Jason didn't move, she told them to touch noses. Then, she continued.

"Percy, step forward. From this moment on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Waterpaw. I will be your mentor.

Hazel, step forward. From this moment until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldpaw. Your mentor will be Dappledleaf. Dappledleaf, You are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent mentoring from Dewfern, and have shown yourself to be a wise and kind teacher. I hope you will pass that on to Goldpaw.

Leo, step forward. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw. Your mentor will be Forestshade. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you. Forestshade, you have received excellent training from Pinecrest, and you have shown yourself to be strong and determined. You will be the mentor of Flamepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him.

Annabeth, step forward. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Owlpaw. Your mentor will be Pinecrest. I hope Pinecrest will pass down all he knows on to you. Pinecrest, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Mistwhisker, and you have shown yourself to be smart and wise. You will be the mentor of Owlpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her.

Frank, step forward. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Eaglepaw. Your mentor will be Frostspots. I hope Frostspots will pass down all he knows on to you. Frostspots, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Fallenclaw, and you have shown yourself to be strong and dependable. You will be the mentor of Eaglepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him.

Piper, step forward. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Charmpaw. Your mentor will be Addercrack. I hope Addercrack will pass down all he knows on to you. Addercrack, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received your training from me, and you have shown yourself to be brave and strong. You will be the mentor of Charmpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Frostspots stepped up. "We're going to need more dens. But first, let's finish that patrol. Also, we need to show the new apprentices the borders."

* * *

 **And, cut! That's all. Hope you enjoyed, I have no idea when I'll update. And PLEASE leave a review. Which reminds me, I NEED CHARACTERS. 4 more clans, to be precise. Thanks.**

 **-S.J.M.**

 **P.S. I realized that the original was, well, not my best work. (Thx, Ardoa88) But I fixed it! Enjoy!**


	2. The Gathering (Pt 1)

**Hello! I realized in chapter one I mentioned a Gathering, and I didn't put a gathering in chapter two. My bad... So, here is your gathering, or part one, at least. I wanted to get it up before anyone noticed my little uh oh. So, enjoy chapter 1.5 part one of two.**

* * *

Scarstar stood on the great rock. "...and the new clanmates. They'll all be going." Scarstar jumped down from the rock, gesturing for the cats she called to follow. As she raced out the camp entrance, she felt so powerful, so free. She was a clan cat, dam (I had to. Hey, they made jokes about it a lot...) it. A clan leader, no less! And her clan was strong. _But, will the other clans see it that way?_

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Charmpaw gasped as she gazed down upon the clearing. The other four clans were already there, and the sight of the wreathing mass of cats was breathtaking. "There are so many of them…"

"What?" a voice next to her asked. She instantly recognized Lightningpaw.

"Nothing. Just… that's a lot of cats."

"I know. I'm a bit nervous too."

"You? Jason? Lightning dude? Nervous? Funny."

"Really, Piper? I'm not all-powerful. I'm not invincible. And even if I was, I'm sure I'd find a way to embarrass myself." Lightningpaw protested.

Charmpaw tried, she honestly did, but she couldn't quite keep the purr from her voice. "At least we're together," she mewed as Scarstar signaled the clan into the clearing.

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"Skyclan has been doing well, and are proud to announce two new apprentices, Puffpaw and Acornpaw." Sprintstar paused to let the clans yowl the names of the new apprentices. "We also have been senting coyotes near the outer border, so be advised." she finished, stepping back. Scarstar stepped up. _Now let's find out why she brought a bunch of loners here._ "Thank you, I am glad to hear you are doing well," Scarstar began, glancing at Sprintstar. "We are as well, and are pleased to announce several new apprentices," Scarstar took a deep breath before continuing, "Mazepaw, Lamepaw, Waterpaw, Lightningpaw, Goldpaw, Eaglepaw, Owlpaw, Charmpaw and Flamepaw." She paused for a breath as the clearing staired, silently, at her. "There is a reason for this," she continued, undeterred by the stares. "Our medicine cat received a prophecy from Starclan, _The Fires enemies return, the air and water fight, and the seven powerful outsiders will save us._ We know this is about them because of the line 'seven _powerful_ outsiders.' Please demonstrate, Waterpaw."

A black tom with eyes the color of the lake, Waterpaw, apparently, looked surprised. "Oh, ok…" he said. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then…

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Waterpaw grunted as he felt the now-becoming-familiar tugging sensation in his stomach. He had never tried something so… grand? Anyway, tugging sensation, nerves, yeah. So, at first, nothing happened, but then…

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Scarstar looked down on Waterpaw. _I sure hope he can pull it off. I haven't seen it yet, I hope he's as impressive as Flamepaw._ For a few agonizing moments, nothing happened, long enough that the Thunderclan leader was sure she made a mistake, but, as she was opening her mouth to usher him on…

* * *

 **So, I know it's short, part two should be out by the end of this month, if all goes according to plan, but then again, when does it?**

 **Anyway, to CrystaltheBookworm: Thank you! I literally opened the review, PMd you, slept, opened it again the next day, and smiled. I love Leo, he reminds me of me, and that scene was fun. I hope your braces feel better.**

 **And we now cut to a commercial and will return on the 30th. I hope. Anyway, see you soon.**

 **S. J. M.**


	3. The Gathering (Pt 2)

**Hey! I'm not dead! So, here's the new chapter, or, well, part two... I finally did it! So sorry for the delay. So, umm... Here's the story!**

* * *

Scarstar looked down on Waterpaw. _I sure hope he can pull it off. I haven't seen it yet; I hope he's as impressive as Flamepaw._ For a few agonizing moments, nothing happened, long enough that the Thunderclan leader was sure she made a mistake, but, as she was opening her mouth to usher him on, the lake started… floating? What? _I must be seeing things._ Scarstar thought. _No cat can do that…_

But then, he wasn't an ordinary cat. Tendrils of water, seven of them, rose from the floating lake, and dived at the seven, engulfing them and then jetting up, with the cats still inside, struggling, into a bigger ball in the middle, that was soon joined by two more streams, one coming over Scarstar's back and one skimming the ground and jetting upwards quickly in front of the medicine cats sitting at the base of the rock, forming a massive ball. A face emerged from the ball, and as it appeared, it clouded the water into mud, obscuring the cats struggling for their lives.

Waterpaw, however, was limp, eyes closed, panting heavily, breathing water! the part of Scarstar's brain that wasn't in complete shock noted. The face, a mud-colored tabby, spoke, though the mouth didn't move much, and the eyes didn't even open. The words where slurred. They were felt, more than heard. _So this is the… seven. I am underwhelmed. Oh well. I suppose that is to be expected._ At the last word, the ball-face-thing exploded, dumping the cats onto the ground.

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The rest of the gathering consisted of shocked murmuring and speculation. Waterpaw wasn't quite sure what happened. All he knew was he had raised the lake, then blacked out.

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"Well. Ok. So, that just happened." Scareye said, struggling to calm herself. "Alright! I, uh, I think we've done enough for one night…"

"Yes. Anything more to be said can wait till next time." Sprintstar said and hopped down from the rock. It was then that Scarstar noticed the crowd of cats around Waterpaw.

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"Out of my way," Cagecreek called, pushing through the crowd of cats around Waterpaw. She was relieved to find he was still breathing, but his pulse was weak. "Give me space."

Slowly, the crowd of cats dispersed, but Cagecreek didn't notice. She calmly put her hands on his chest and held them there. She held her breath, then exhaled slowly, feeling her paws warm as Waterpaw shook himself awake. She hoped no one had noticed her-

"What happened?" Waterpaw broke her train of thought.

"You, well… It's best you rest first. Forestshade, Crowtail-"

"No, what did you-"

"Forget it. It was nothing."

"That was not nothing."

"Look," Cagecreek looked around, and shooed a few cats away who were too close. "They don't know. Just… I'll tell you later," she whispered into his ear. She then raised her voice. "Forestshade, Crowtail, help me carry him home."

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Despite all common sense, Waterpaw was fine the next day. After a night in the medicine den, Cagecreek gave the all-clear. He was up with the others and seemed to have forgotten the whole thing.

* * *

 **So, I hope that's good... Let me know if you have any theories as to what happens next! I hope I didn't just spoil it.**

 **Anyway, reviews. Thank you all so much for reviewing.**

 **Spice, though I've said this in person, I'm sure, thanks so much for the review. I'll tell you, Lamepaw isn't bassed on Calypso, but that is an interesting idea. And, no toilets, but I hope this was better.**

 **Catlover, your review made my day. I am so glad you have spent your valuable time reading and analyzing my story. I'm glad you like the apprentice names, cause I'm not 100% behind all of them. And you are so right, I need to touch on that a bit more. Thanks for reminding me. And yeah, they're a lot older than most apprentices. And yeah, the line is left out intentionally. You'll see why later. Anyway, thanks for the suport!**

 **Nerd, glad you liked it! And yeah, it's about time.**

 **Sorry about the long delay. My cat killed my charger, then I killed my computer, and since I got my new one (which runs Minecraft) I've been having trouble focusing (go figure).**


	4. Territories, patrols and a scary dream

**Hello! I know it's short, but it's been so long... Chapter 3 will be out much sooner, I hope... Anyway, thank you to my 3 reviewers, and to Ardoa88 and CrystaltheBookworm for following! Enjoy. I think that's all, but there will be more at the end. Oh. Yeah. That. So, I moved some apprentices around. The only major difference is Leo has a different mentor. (I moved around Lamepaw and Mazepaw) Now that's all... I hope.**

* * *

 _ **Thunderclan**_

 **Leader**

Scarstar - Black she-cat with white flecks and a scar over her eye

Apprentice - Waterpaw

 **Deputy**

Frostspots - White tom with brown spots and tail

Apprentice - Eaglepaw

 **Medicine** **cat**

Cagecreek - Tortoiseshell she-cat with gold eyes

 **Warriors**

Pinecrest - Yellow tom with ginger chest and legs and pine green eyes

Apprentice - Owlpaw

Addercrack - Gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice - Charmpaw

Sorrelflight - Gray-blue she-cat with orange eyes

Apprentice - Lamepaw

Forestshade - Dappled brown tom with black spots and green eyes

Apprentice - Flamepaw

Dappledleaf - Green eyed black she-cat with gray stripes

Apprentice - Goldpaw

Crowtail - Green eyed tom with an orange tabby pelt

Apprentice - Mazepaw

Smokeclaw - Dark gray tom with green eyes that have gold flecks.

Apprentice - Lightningpaw

 **Apprentices**

Mazepaw - Orange tabby tom with gold eyes

Lamepaw - Dark brown she-cat with gold eyes and only half her right front leg

Waterpaw (Percy) - Black, Green eyes, Tom

Lightningpaw (Jason) - Ginger, Blue eyes, Tom

Goldpaw (Hazel) Black, Gold eyes, She-cat

Eaglepaw (Frank) Fluffy white, Brown eyes, Tom

Owlpaw (Annabeth) Light orange tabby, Gray eyes, She-cat

Flamepaw (Leo) Dark orange tabby, Brown eyes

 **Queens**

Cloverheart - White she-cat with green eyes, expecting Pinecrest's kits

 **Elders**

Sunclaw - Bright orange tabby tom with gold eyes

* * *

Now, typically, nothing short of Starclan themselves can deter the new apprentices from pestering their new mentors till they take them outside, but that enthusiasm was decidedly absent, as the new 'paws had already seen their territory, and more, even, then most of the clan cats. After a quick tour of the camp, This is the apprentice den, where you sleep, this is the warriors den, stay out, etc., they went out on the tour with Scareye, Cagecreek, Addercrack, and Pinecrest.

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Flamepaw darted ahead. "Ooh, look at that! And that! And-"

"We get it," snapped Owlpaw. "You are still a kit."

"Oh, shush, An- Owlpaw. Let him play." Waterpaw chided.

"Alright, now that you're done with that, we can continue," Scarstar sounded annoyed. "Welcome to the territory. We are headed towards the lake. The Sky Oak is the first thing on your left, and to the right, you have the lake. The island in the middle is where we hold our Gatherings, and speaking of, there is one tonight. Now, as long as you walk within two tail lengths of the water, you can go around the lake safely. Now over here…" Eaglepaw gaped his mouth like a fish, and Goldpaw chuckled.

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The sun was below the trees by the time the cats returned to camp. Lamepaw and Mazepaw where already back as the cats padded in, exhausted. Well, maybe not Flamepaw, but…

"Welcome back!" Lamepaw greeted, stifling the hurt in the flash of surprise in the new cat's eyes, like, really, you are training to be a warrior? "How was it?"

"Good! Fun! But, kind of repetitive," Flamepaw responded without hesitation. "I've already seen most of the outer border, and the rest-"

"She doesn't need your life story," Owlpaw scolded, causing both Flamepaw and Lamepaw to flinch.

"Ok, sorry…" Flamepaw relented.

"I'm just going to go, um, make sure the elders are cared for," Lamepaw limped off before anyone could see the hurt in her eyes. Just because I was born without a leg doesn't mean I'm inferior to them. I'm sick and tired of it. Right when I got the clan to stop… A call from Sorrelflight startled her. "What?" she called.

"I said, we're on the border patrol." Sorrelflight repeated.

"But I just returned from hunting-"

"I know. Do you think I want to?" Sorrelflight interrupted.

"True… So, who else is going?" Lamepaw asked.

"Forestshade and Flamepaw."

"Oh…" Flamepaw? Seriously?

"What is it? You don't seem happy with that," Sorrelflight noted.

"It's just… I can't help but notice the looks the new… clanmates give me," she said clanmates like a question.

"Give them time. It'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say, you have all four legs."

"So? I'm a warrior, I used to be an apprentice, how is that so different from you? Have you noticed, you always bring the most fresh-kill back, always are at the head of your patrol, and most often beat your brother in training. You are going to be a warrior. And a better warrior than most, by the look of it."

"But-"

"No. You are done. Now, let's find the patrol."

"I- Ok." She limped to the entrance. Sorrelflight followed.

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"What's it like in a clan? What's it like to have a mentor? Is it weird missing a leg? Is everyone always that rude? Do you-"

"Do you ever be quiet?" Lamepaw snaped.

Flamepaw was hurt. What had he done? He was just asking some, ok, a lot of questions. Was that wrong? "Umm, well, there was that one time…"

"Can't you take a hint?" So, his normal humor wasn't going to work.

"What's wrong?" If all else fails, just ask the question.

"Nothing. Go away." Lamepaw ran, as best she could, ahead.

Flamepaw looked at Sorrelflight, who said "Give her time. She… doesn't like talking about her leg. She doesn't want to feel like she's not as good as everyone else."

"I understand. I... well, fire is feared by all cats. Being able to do this…" He lit himself on fire, then extinguished it. "Not the best..."

Sorrelflight flinched back, fear flashing in her eyes. "S-so it's true…"

"Yeah, I get that reaction a lot. It- you get used to it."

"Wow. So… I-I just can't- it's real. And the o-others?"

"Yep. We're all weirdos."

"Wow. I-I don't know what to, t-to say."

"I know, I'm so amazing, you are speechless." He reared up on his back legs, then fell over backward. "Oof!"

"A-are you ok?" Sorrelflight managed between laughs.

"I'm fine, but my pride's not…"

Sorrelflight just laughed.

"You guys coming?" Forestshade yelled back at them.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Flamepaw responded as they both took off running.

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 _"Annabeth!" he yelled, watching her disappear into the writhing mass of cats. "Help! Somebody!" He gazed around the clearing, seeing the clan all locked in various fights. Scareye was locked in battle with a dark brown tabby with unusually long claws as Cagecreek battled_ an orange _and white she-cat with matted fur. He heard a scream and saw Annabeth, pinned to the ground by a spiky furred dark gray tabby with white shoulders. "Noo!"_

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Owlpaw shook herself off as, yet again, Waterpaw woke her with his nightmares. "P-Waterpaw. Get up! You woke me up again."

"Sorry. I… sorry. It's just nightmares. I-"

"Just?! We've been here three nights, and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep, thanks to you. And you keep calling my name…"

"It's just a nightmare. I'll get over it."

"Until then, I'm sleeping over there." Owlpaw moved over to a different nest.

"Fine," Waterpaw mumbled, stretching.

Peace at last. Owlpaw thought as she curled up to sleep.

* * *

 **And that's the game, folks! The scene with Sorrelflight and Lamepaw was fun, as was the Sorrelflight/Flamepaw one. Hope you enjoyed. Oh, review responses. Right. That's next on my (nonexistent) list.**

 **To Ardoa88. Thank you so much for the long review. I looked back on my story, hated it, and added 200+ words. I needed that. But thank you for the encouragement.**

 **To Guest. Thank you for your encouragement.**

 **To Crystalthebookworm. I have to say, your review is literally the only reason this chapter exists. So thank you. Hope this satisfies you till the next chapter.**

 **Thank you all, and now I need to think of a chapter name...**

 **-S. J. M.**


	5. Combat 'Training'

**There we go. It's been a hot second. I really have no excuse, other than ADHD. But hey, I fixed it! This one's got a little more fighting and is probably pretty bad, but it'll lead into the next one. Also, sorry if I got the characters wrong. It's been too long since I last read the books. Now, enjoy.**

* * *

Dawn's light filtered through the branches of the apprentice den. Mazepaw blinked awake. In the three days since the gathering, the rouges had slowly eased into clan life. But he was not fooled. _They shouldn't be here._ He was sure of it. Their existence was an ill omen. And the gathering… Though he wouldn't dare show it, he loathed the rouges. They were taking all the attention off him, and what were they giving in return? Eaglepaw could hunt, sure, but most of the others barely fed themselves. It was clear they didn't belong.

He got up from his nest on the far side of the den, noticing, with a slight smirk of satisfaction, that Waterpaw and Owlpaw now had separate nests.

He padded into the clearing and looked around. Frostspots looked over at him. "Mazepaw, perfect. Crowtail was just about to wake you. You're training with Waterpaw. Crowtail, can you grab him, and head out?"

"Yeah," Crowtail said, walking that way. He returned with a very tired and disheveled Waterpaw, as though he had been tossing and turning all night. _This should be fun,_ he thought, flexing his claws.

Just then, Scarstar padded into camp with Lamepaw, Sorrelflight, Smokeclaw, and Lightningpaw close behind. They were all carrying fresh-kill. Scarstar bounded over to the fresh-kill pile, where she dropped her catch, before joining them.

"Ready to go?" she asked, looking around the group.

"Yes," Crowtail said, and Mazepaw echoed. Waterpaw, however, simply blinked hard, seemingly struggling to stay awake. _This will be great._

"Alright. Let's go."

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Crowtail and Scarstar led the two apprentices to a mossy clearing a little ways from camp.

"Alright. We're doing combat training. I want to see how good you are." Scarstar said, glancing at Waterpaw. "No claws, and no... abilities, please," she added.

"Alright," Waterpaw said, shaking the last bit of sleep off. He had gotten almost no sleep last night, but he wouldn't let that hold him down. "Let's do this."

Mazepaw nodded, moving to one edge of the clearing. After a moment, Waterpaw realized what he was doing and followed suit. _Ok, maybe I'm not as ready as I thought I was._ He was bigger and stronger than his opponent, but he had little training.

Mazepaw lunged without warning, but Waterpaw rolled out of the way reflexively. That simple move was enough to shock the sleep out of him and let adrenaline take over. Mazepaw had recovered quickly, and as Waterpaw turned to face him, reared up to bat at him, to with Waterpaw responded by dropping on his stomach. Mazepaw saw this and dropped himself on top of the other cat, but Waterpaw expected that. As Mazepaw fell, he heaved himself up and forward, ramming his head right into Mazepaw's chest, knocking the wind from the apprentice. As Mazepaw reared back, Waterpaw pressed his advantage. But he was sloppy, and Mazepaw was able to block all his swipes.

After a few heartbeats of this, both cats broke apart and circled. Mazepaw looked him in the eyes, as if daring him to move first, and when he didn't, lunged to the side. Waterpaw jumped back, instinctively knowing what came next, and wasn't disappointed as Mazepaw quickly pounced on where he was a second ago. Waterpaw himself hoped on top of the attacker, knocking him onto his side. After a few heartbeats of struggle, Waterpaw had him pinned.

"Well done," Scarstar said, and Crowtail grunted his grudging agreement. Waterpaw hopped off an embarrassed Mazepaw, who backed away and smoothed his ruffled fur. "Maybe you should try against Crowtail."

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Waterpaw padded into the medicine den. He was covered in small scratches Crowtail had "accidentally" given him. None of them were bad, but Scarstar told him to make sure they didn't get infected. And so, he'd left the training area, but not before he noticed Mazepaw in the corner, trying to hide his laughter.

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Lightningpaw sat next to Charmpaw, and thrush between them. Lightningpaw had caught it, with Sorrelflight's help. It had been his first real catch, but Smokeclaw hadn't cared. Of course he hadn't. The majority of the clan had accepted them, but not his mentor. Often, he got the feeling his mentor hated him. In the small amount of time they had been there, the clan had separated into two clear groups. Those who liked them, or at least tolerated them, and those who didn't. Crowtail, Smokeclaw, and Mazepaw were clearly in the latter category. That much was clear. _Why did I have to get stuck with Smokeclaw? Of all the cats…_

He looked up just in time to see Percy come through the camp entrance and head to the medicine den. _Strange_ , he thought, but shrugged it off. _He must have stepped on a thorn or something._ It wasn't until Crowtail entered, head hung low and tail drooping, followed by Scarstar, still chastising him, that he realized what that was about.

Piper saw it too. "What do you think that was about, Jason?"

"I don't know. I'm going to go ask." Lightningpaw stood up.

"Not without me you aren't." Charmpaw stood up too.

"Fine. Let's go see what Crowtail did to him."

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Goldpaw took a step back. Addercrack was in front of her, his tail swishing side to side, hate filling his eyes. "You are not welcome here." he bit out, stepping forward to compensate. "Go ahead, run, no one will miss you. I'll have done this clan a favor." All around her, gems and valuable metals began popping up. But she stood her ground. "Come on, run."

"No."

Almost before she finished saying that, Addercrack lunged. In a moment, she was pinned. She squirmed, but to no avail. The warrior was bigger and stronger, even though he wasn't too much older. The rouges were well past what the clan cats would call apprentice age. But that didn't mean they were a warriors equal, as Goldpaw found out as she struggled. He shoved his face into hers and hissed "I'll ask you one more time before things get nasty. Leave, and don't come back."

Goldpaw met his gaze, even though he had her pinned. "No," she breathed and saw malice harden in his eyes.

And just as quickly leave as a she-cat's voice called out "Addercrack?"

"Yes?" he got off Goldpaw and turned around, and Goldpaw scrambled to do the same. Limping toward them was Lamepaw.

"Oh, I was worried it was someone important." Addercrack sneered, seeing her.

Lamepaw smiled, but Goldpaw could see how it had hurt her. Goldpaw spoke up. "Are you implying she _isn't_ important? Because you might need to fact check that."

Addercrack took a swing at her, and Lamepaw straightened. "You know you shouldn't be attacking a clanmate."

"So stop me."

"Ok." Lamepaw had hardly gotten that out when Goldpaw lunged, taking the tom by surprise. He fell, but then kept rolling, throwing Goldpaw, who was trying to pin him the way he had, off in a shallow ark. She landed with a grunt and stumbled to her feet. In this time, Lame paw had strode forward surprisingly fast, pushing hard with her back legs so her front one barely hit the ground. Addercrack hadn't even noticed her, even though she wasn't particularly quiet. She barreled into him, biting down hard on his shoulder, and catching him off guard. "Oh, the cripple knows how to bite, eh?" Addercrack recovered swiftly. He swiped a claw out, grazing her cheek, then bucked suddenly, making her lose her grip. But the delay was enough for Goldpaw to make it back to the fight. She reared up, slamming down with both paws on his back, disrupting him long enough for Lamepaw to fall back. And so they fought, one of them darting in, only to have the other replace them as if on some unseen command. It was executed well, as though they had fought together often. To Goldpaw, it was instinctual, fighting with a friend. To Lamepaw, it was less so, but she grasped the rhythm fast enough.

And all the while, Addercrack continued to throw insults at them.

* * *

 **It is done. Wow, that sounded cryptic. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and if not, tell me what I did wrong, please. It helps.**

 **I got so many guest reviews, and it's infuriating, because I can't PM you a response...**

 **Anyway, to Spice, I'm so glad you liked my take on exploding toilets. Had to get the plot moving somehow. Glad I can count on you to review honestly.**

 **Next, Gray, Yeah, you're fine. I'm glad you liked my characters, because I really felt like it was bad... Anyway, I can agree. Leo's awesome, but not really my favorite. I'm glad you thought I made him shine through. Those scenes were fun to do. Oh, and, I just might bring Lightningflurry over. We'll see.**

 **Sugerkit: Thanks.**

 **Redleaf5: Thanks. I might, if I need to name drop someone.**

 **Guest: Yes. Slowly, but yes.**

 **Hi I'm Jim: I assume both of those reviews are from you? Anyway, I'm so, so glad you enjoyed it. I had fun writing it, and I'm glad you enjoyed consuming it just as much. And, I don't think I'm going to add any characters from the books. It's been too long for me to portray them well, and I have a slew of PCs I don't have to worry about getting wrong.**

 **Wow, that was a lot of reviews. Thanks, guys. Oh, and, Catlover, thanks for the inspiration.**

 **Hopefully the next bit won't be so long in coming. I have plans already.**


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